Insulated self-buoyant floating roof for tanks



Jan. 7, 1936. VERNER INSULATED SELF BUOYANT FLOATING ROOF FOR'TANKSFiled Oct. 23, 1929 INVENTOR JUL Es VER/YER AToRNEY Patented Jan. `7,1936 SELF-BUOYANT FLO ROOF FOR TANKS INsULATE'n Ame i Jules Verner,Linden, N. J.,.assgnor to` Standard o Oil Development Company, acorporation ol Delaware ApplicatonOctober 23, 19.29, Serial No. 401,735i s claims. (c1.l 22o-'26) of filaments or hairs of the brushes are soclose- This invention relates to floating roofs or decks for oil tanksor other receptacles, the primary object being to provide a self-buoyantfloating roof or deck in the form of a raft which will lie upon thesurface of the" liquid, with improved means of closing off communicationbetween the .atmosphere and the` oil and thereby preventing evaporationlosses.

o Other objects will be apparent from the specication and from theaccompanying drawing in which Fig. l is a top plan view of a floatingroof o constructed in accordance with the invention and disposed in atank. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II of Fig. 1and Fig. 3 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form ofroof particularly adapted for use in small tanks. Y",

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 2 of^ the drawing, the device isillustrated as positioned in a tank I of cylindrical form. The tank mayor may not be provided with a suitable roof. The tank is adapted tocontain oil orother liquid which it is desired to protect.

A deck is provided which is adapted to be positioned within the tankupon the surface of the liquid contained therein. The deck comprises adisc-shaped flat bottom body portion of generally circular contour, thetop of which is suitably pitched for drainage. 'I'he body portion of thedeck comprises a float 2 of self-buoyant material. The body portion canbe constructed of cork, or cork composition, wood or any othermaterial/which will iioat on the liquid. It is preferred that thematerial be heat insulating. When material is used that is porous orliquid absorbent, it is coated-er impregnated with a suitable materialto render the same impervious to the liquid. For example, the bodyportion can be treated with shellac, lacquers or varnishes of thecellulose base type or combinations thereof, thereby rendering the sameoil proof and water proof; Sealing means are provided for sealing thespace between the body portion and the side walls vof' the tank. 'I'hesealing means comprises a plurality of close set layers of filaments orhairs of flexible material forming continuous brushes or brush-likemembers 3 encircling the float 2 with a continuous ring. The brushes canbe made of hair, ber, metal or alloy filaments or the like. Oneof theends of the filaments or hairs of the brushes are clamped to andsupported by a flange 4 attached to the deck and project laterally andradially therefrom substantially parallelwith the plane of the oat 2.The layers lyset in ange 4 tard the passage of vapors. ried above thesurface of the liquid upon which the deck oats.

brushes are suflici that they will substantially re- The brushes arecar- The filaments or hairs of the ently long to over-lap the spacebetween' the body portion and the side walls of the tank. The flange 4is provided with one or more openings 5, later described.

the function of which will be Rollers 6 attached to the roof are adaptedto ride on guides 6 on the shell of the tank and gui de the roof wherebythe roofis maintained in a concentric position in large tankage.

In order to insure drainage of liquid, such as rain water, from with anopening the deck, the latter is provided 1 communicating with a trapseal 8. The uppersurface of the deck 2 is inclined downwardly inopposite directions from a ridge 9 intermediate the outer edge of thedeck and the opening 1.

As a consequence liquid falling upon the deck will drain through theopenings 5 and 1 into the body of oil in the tank. In

of the liquid and self-buoyant and rises and falls therewith. It istherefore not subject to danger of sinking, as inthe case of leakymetallic-decks. 'I'he material of the deck being relatively heatinsulating, maint ains the surface of the oil comparatively cool andtherebyprevents the-*boiling or volatilization of the oil withconsequent Vloss of volatile constit uents due to the suns heat.

The brushes maintain a close seal around the edges of the deck whichsubstantially prevents the escape of oil drawn'from the vapors. Whenliquid is withtank, thebushes wipe against the surfaces of the sidewalls of the tank'and -brush the liquid thereon downwardly, therebyreducing the loss of the liquid by volatilization from the side walls ofthe tank.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention hasbeen shown anddescribed, it will be unde'rstood that various modifications can be madetherein within the scope of the invention, and such modifications areintended to be covered by the appended I claim:

claims.

1. A floatingdeck seal for tanks vcomprising a members extendingoutwardly from the edge of the deck in close relation one to the otherand forming a continuous ring.

2. A floating deck seal for tanks comprising a plurality oi.'individually bendable bristle-like members extending radially outwardfrom the edge of the deck in close relation one to the other and inspaced relation tothe base of the deck. 3. A oating deck seal for tankscomprising brushes formed of a plurality of closely associated tindividually bendable bristle-like members or a compact lamentousmaterial.

4. In combination with a storage tank, a roof spaced from the tank walland adapted to oat on the liquid in the tank, a peripheral wipingelement including .individually bendable bristlelike members i'orclosing the space between the y 2,026,762 'plurality' of individuallybendable bristle-nge tank wall and roof, and means for securing thewiping element to the roof.

5. A oating deck seal according. to claim 3 in which the compactfilamentous material is selected from vthe class consisting of hair,fibre, metal or alloy laments.

6. A oating deck seal for tanks comprising a plurality of individuallybendable bristle-like members formed oi a compact lamentous materialsecured in close relation to one another to the 10 edge of the lloatingdeck and in spaced relation to the base thereof, said bristle-likemembers having a length greater than the space between the deck and thewall of the tank whereby the vertical movements of the deck causes awiping 15 action of the bristle-like members with relation to the tankwall.

